Tempest enclosures: SBB4 vented enclosure or Adire Alignment? HELP! (1 Viewer)

[Javier_Huerta]

Hi,

I am wondering which box would be a better enclosure for a HT / DVD-A application. I haven't heard either, so I'm basing my opinions on the PDF available at Adire's web site.

Supposedly, the SBB4 enclosure gives you higher SPLs, while the Adire Alignment goes down deeper. The question is, how much efficient is the SBB4 enclosure? I'll be using the ubiquitous 250W plate amp on a 20x14x12 room, and, as I said, it'll be used for DVD movies and a bit of DVD-A. I want (obviously) the sub to sound very, very powerful, but not at the expense of musicality.

If someone out there has listened to both enclosures and has an opinon about them, I'd be very glad to listen to it... thanks a lot!

Javier.

 

[Jack Gilvey]

What's "musicality"?

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

IMO, Musicality = smooth frequency response and accurate bass.

If that's the case the AA is more musical at the expense of only maybe a couple decibels in mid bass.

The SBB4 has some more mid bass punch in the 40-50hz range. The drawback is it can't extend as deep as the AA design and won't be as accurate. The benefits are a small enclosure and a loud sub for rock music bass and home theater punch bass.

If you like to listen to Jazz with string bass instruments and perhaps pipe organs then the AA design might prove slightly better in music. The AA design has a gradual response capable of deeper bass in the 20hz region.

 

[Wendell]

I just built the Adire Alignment and it sounds very good with movies and music. Bass is tight and hits pretty good. I have no complaints here!

 

[Scott Simonian]

I love my AA Tempest!

It is the most musical sounding sub for the $$$. I am constantly impressed with each viewing of my movies and music.

The only bad part is that the cabinet will be much bigger than the SBB4.

 

[Javier_Huerta]

What's "musicality"?

I like it when people get cynical instead of trying to help a newbee. Makes us novices feel so much at home
I meant "accuracy". I'm sorry, [sarcasm on] I won't make such a mistake again.[/sarcasm off]

As for the enclosure size, it's really not a problem, I could even build an EBS one! The sub will be built into the house (alongside some heavily braced furniture) so I can put anything I want. The thing is, I'll use it at a home theater, and I really don't know whether the extended frequency response of an AA will sound better for movies than the extended punch of the SBB4. That's the bad thing of never having heard a good sub - I simply don't know what I'm looking for, and living in Mexico, I'll have to experiment a bit.
I *think* that since woodwork is so cheap around here, I'll build an Adire Alignment for my Home Theater and an EBS box for my MartinLogans, though. Since I'm building my house, I guess building the subs into the room will pay off in the long run. For starters, nobody will ask "what's that HUGE box over there?"
Also, if you have built a box enclosure for your Adire with a plate amp, did you install the plate amp into the enclosure, or did you do something else? Reason I'm asking is that the plate amp might change the enclosure size somewhat or weaken the box. If this is so, I might just simply build a separate box for the amp, which might actually be somewhat useful if I ever decide to upgrade the amp, but not the sub. Any opinions?
Thanks for all your help!
Javier.

 

[Jack Gilvey]

Thank you for your "definition". That's a hardware forum term I get a kick out of, and always like to know each user's interpretation of it. If you stick around long enough to learn anything, you might see what I mean, and not assume someone's being cynical.

 

[Scott Simonian]

Javier,

When you hear this sub, you will never want to listen to another consumer product sub ever again.

I guarantee it!

 

[Brett Loomis]

Scott, Wendell, Chris, Jack----I am building the Tempest 214L AA right now and need help with the 64oz. of polyfill....

This may sound dumb, but do I just fill it to the top loosely or do I glue and compress it to the sides??

Am I right to avoid getting it to close to the port tubes and the back of the driver cone??

Please walk a newbie through this seemingly obvious step.

I appreciate all input here and do not want to overlook some obvious detail.

Thanks, Brett

 

[ThomasW]

SBB4 has a "Q" of 0.707. The Adire Alignment has a "Q" of 0.577. So the AA will have 'tighter' better defined, but slightly dryer sounding bass

 

[Javier_Huerta]

About the plate amp, does anyone know if I installing it on the back of an Adire Alignment box would weaken it too much? I worry that it would make the box too flimsy and change the internal volume figures...

 

[Scott Simonian]

If you are going with the same design of the cabinet from Adire then I will assure you that the integrity of the box will be the same.

When I first made mine I was always hugging it because it was so big and heavy and just plain scary as a sub.

 

[PaulDF]

Scott, "hugging" it?? Like wrap your arms around it? Or is there another definition I don't know about yet?